For this post, we thought we’d go straight to the source. We asked Matt, M Loves M blogger Mara’s husband, a few essential questions about this dude-centric space. (Like what in the world do you do for all those hours down there?)

Man Cave Must-Haves, According to Matt

WM: What are some of your must-have items for your man cave?Matt: A guitar, a good book, something to sip and a writing desk.

WM: What’s the difference between a man cave and a study/den or TV room? And what do you do down there, anyway?Matt: In my mind, a man cave accomplishes two things: It’s a place for me to be creative and a place where I can chill with the guys while the wives and girlfriends are in the other room chatting.

I’ve given Mara free reign when it comes to decorating the house. But I wanted to design a man cave that reflected my style; one I was comfortable in for my own creative outlets. For a lot of guys, that might be having a chair, beer fridge and a television. For me, on any given night while Mara is busy blogging, I might be writing a song (Sorry Mara, no sound proofing yet!) or working on a funny story.

And when the women are together, us dudes need a place to pull up a funny YouTube video, talk about guy things, war room planning, and have a nice selection of whiskey to pick from while we’re doing all of the above!

WM: Can you describe how the paint color of the room set the foundational base for the rest of the space?Matt: It’s Valspar Tabby Cat Grey. It’s an earthy medium grey that’s bold. I love earth tones, especially greys—it goes well with my personality, and medium to dark greys are more masculine.

WM: What are some of your favorite things about the room?Matt: When we first talked about the man cave, I knew I had to find just the right chair and desk, not just for my needs but also for the space. The room isn’t that big, so this desk was the perfect size (and you can’t argue with the price). I also wanted to mix metals, woods and earthy colors to create an inviting space where anyone would feel comfortable. When it comes to most personal things, I stick not just to what looks good, but what feels good to me. For my man cave, I picked out decor and accents that work for my personality, needs and tastes. And what’s great is that my man cave looks and feels like it’s still very much a part of the rest of the house. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!

WM: Your picks for must-have bottles for the bar cart are…Matt: Laphroaig 10, Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond Bourbon and High West Rye.